Langham Village History Group
From the earliest days, when woodland would have been cleared to create fields, agriculture was
important to the people of Langham. After the Norman Conquest, the villagers would have been tenants of
the Lord of the Manor of Oakham or of Westminster Abbey and worked on the lord’s land as well as
cultivating their own strips of land. The open field system of farming, with tenants renting strips of land,
began in its simplest form in Saxon times, became more developed after the Norman Conquest and
continued until the mid 18th century. Then began major changes in agriculture, with the enclosure of open
fields; increasing demand for food for an increasing population; the introduction of new fodder crops and
improved breeds of livestock. By the mid 19th century farm mechanisation was occurring.
Common Land
As well as the cultivated land, an area would be kept as meadow for the growing of hay. The remaining
land in the parish would be common land, available to the villagers to graze their animals.
In Langham, The Pastures, to the south of Cold Overton Road, were still in use until the mid 20th
century. Some of the old record books of the Pastures Committee survive, showing the rates for mowing
thistles and the payment for fetching the cows. The Pastures was also a favourite haunt of village children
who played there and hoped to be rewarded for opening the gates.
Allotments
The introduction of allotments by Richard Westbrook Baker helped to alleviate the problems caused by the
Enclosures Acts. Rented allotment plots gave the poorer villagers the opportunity to grow vegetables and
corn for the pig. They were also important during both World Wars. Langham’s first allotments were in
Ashwell Road and due to the lie of the land, were known as Allotment Hill and Allotment Hollow. The
present allotment field came into use in the 1860s.
Gardens
Cottage gardens would also have produced vegetables for the table. A newspaper report from September
1915 records Langham’s first Vegetable Show. It was held on Miss Finch‘s lawn and this lady hoped that the
Show would become an annual event. It did; though it ceased
in the 1940s. The Village
Show’s revival took place in 1977 and now (2009) includes
flowers, vegetables,
cookery and junior exhibits.
